Long Time Coming
by WishfulDreams
Summary: Or how to transform season 6 into McDanno. Steve has been abandoned too many times in his life. It's time to focus on the only person that never leaves him.
1. chapter 1

Hey there! So, I started this story last year. I already posted it in AO3, under my other pen name (which I have here too) and I haven't posted it here yet because it has some mature content, but since I've read this kind of fics here, I decided to post it as well. I hope no one gets offended by this. The story is not complete due to work and stuff but I really intend to finish it even if I'm one season behind. There are about eight chapters ready to post and I will update them in the following days if there's any interest. I hope you enjoy it!

Oh any typos you find please forgive me and let me know, English isn't my first language.

* * *

Something was wrong. Or at the very least, not completely right. Danny didn't care if everyone thought he always had to see the worst-case scenario on every situation because he could feel it, deep in his gut. He felt it for the first time when Catherine appeared at Steve's house ready to go to the wedding, the uncertainty on her expression like she wasn't sure whether she really should be there or not, and he could see it at the wedding in the longing looks she gave Steve when she thought he wasn't looking. But Danny was looking. He would always look out for Steve and right now he needed to make sure Cath wasn't going to wreck him again and then leave him to pick up the shattered pieces of his heart.

* * *

Steve was tired of all these mixed up feelings. Ever since he emerged from the ocean to discover an apologetic Catherine waiting for him with a hopeful look on her eyes, his brain had been running wild full time trying to ride the rollercoaster of emotions in his chest. The truth was Steve never got himself to resent Cath, he just felt that familiar void in his soul when he realized she wasn't coming back, but sadly enough a part of him accepted that as normal, as if that was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, a lot of people in his life – people he cared about – left, died, even betrayed him, so he should be used to it by now, shouldn't he?

But then she came back, told him she had missed him and asked him how long he wanted her to stay, and just like that everything rushed back to him, the sweet warmth of feeling needed and loved, the urge to take care of her, the calmness in the sense of belonging. It took Steve all but a couple of days to realize he didn't want to lose that again, that he was done with being alone, and to decide that proposing to Cath was the way of preserving the bubble of happiness that surrounded him right now.

He also knew that – fortunately for his sanity – not everyone in his life left him. It was the fact that his best friend and one of those few who never abandoned him didn't seem to be completely pleased with the development of the situation that made him feel a little unsettled.

Danny had been nagging him relentlessly about finding out Cath's intentions and warning him to not just throw caution to the wind to prevent last time's fallout from happening again, and even if he seemed genuinely happy for him when he confessed his intentions of proposing, Steve could still feel the tense energy emanating from Danny each time they were around Cath.

Sometimes he surprised himself thinking that maybe Danny was jealous, and automatically laughed at the idea, because why would Danny be jealous? Sure, it was undeniable that they cared and watched out for each other and that well, they _loved_ each other, but jealousy didn't fit in their kind of love, right?

After all he had been with Cath and Danny was with Melissa, or at least had been until Rachel had broke the news about Charlie. Danny had told him he and Melissa had had a fight about the messages and the fact that Danny hadn't explained the situation to her until almost a week after his conversation with Rachel, too caught up in the whole 'I have a son I didn't know about and he's sick' tornado to deal with explaining her the newest kind of drama in his life. Apparently Melissa had said she needed some space and Danny had too much on his plate right now to be able to focus on working in their relationship.

All in all, the last few weeks – or maybe months or years – had been a little frantic for both of them, and even if he just dismissed Danny's worried rants with their usual banter, Steve hoped his overprotective partner would tone down the hovering once he proposed to Cath, and maybe then they could all start to really relax.

* * *

Danny took a slow sip from his beer, looking distractedly at the TV but not really following the game that was on. His thoughts were somewhere else, he'd been replaying in his head the conversation with Cath earlier that day, analyzing her expressions and trying to find secret meanings behind her words. At first he was pleased with her answers, she seemed sincerely happy to be back here with Steve, but when they hugged each other Danny couldn't help but feel the slight tremor in her body as she said 'there's nothing I want more'. That wasn't exactly a 'yes, I'm staying' and Danny was feeling increasingly uneasy the longer he tried to decipher what else could that imply.

Anyway, he supposed he would know soon enough, Steve had told him after their conversation in the boat that he would talk to her and pop the question later that day, so he'd been giving them time to talk and celebrate before he interrupted them.

But after another half an hour practically climbing the walls, Danny decided to sent his partner a text, that way he could answer later if they where still 'celebrating'.

 ** _[Op report? Should I secure a pack of Longboards? D.]_**

He hit 'send' and went to the kitchen to prepare some dinner and distract himself from checking the phone screen each five minutes.

But after having dinner, taking a shower, and talk to Grace on the phone for 20 minutes without having received a response, the uneasy feeling had morphed into a full-blown 'something's wrong' signal that he couldn't ignore anymore. He knew Steve would have taken 10 seconds to send him a short 'target accomplished' text or something like that. So he just picked up the Camaro's key and headed to Steve's. He already gave them several hours, and if he noticed any sign that they were busy celebrating he would just turn around and talk to them tomorrow. But something kept telling him that was not the case.

When he arrived to Steve's house and parked beside his truck it was almost dark already. He checked for lights inside the house but couldn't see any, so he knocked on the front door. No response. No sounds or any other indication whatsoever of movement inside. Following his instincts, Danny went around the house to the lanai, spotting three empty beer bottles on the table by the chairs on the beach. Turning immediately to the ocean, he could make out the form of Steve swimming, breaking through the waves in the shore's direction.

There was no need for more proof, that conversation had obviously gone wrong, very wrong if his unbelievably reckless partner had decided the best he could do was to get himself drunk before stepping into the ocean.

Trying to contain the flash of anger – after all, Steve would need support right now and at least he was already coming back and apparently not having trouble swimming – he went inside the house to retrieve a towel since Steve hadn't bothered to bring one and at the same time looked around the house, searching for any sign of Cath's presence. There was none.

Sighing, he made his way back to the shore and silently waited for Steve to reach him. When he was near enough to stand, Steve crouched on the sand, waves still rolling through his legs when he finally noticed Danny and looked at him and god, his eyes showed sadness so deep that Danny only wanted to hug him and never let go. It was exactly the look he hadn't wanted to see, the sadness he had tried to spare his partner from feeling.

Thinking he had obviously failed to prevent it, he held the towel with his arms stretched for Steve to step on, which he did, and then wrapped it around his back before starting to make soothing circles meant both for drying him and letting Steve know he was here for him without actually having to say it. Steve was tense and stiff at first under his arms, but gradually started to melt into Danny's touch until he let his forehead fall forward to rest on his partner's shoulder with a deep sigh. Danny kept his gentle touch on his back with one hand while placing the other at the back of Steve's neck, squeezing a little and just holding him, letting him have this quiet moment and decide when he was ready to move and face the conversation about how his heart had been broken again. If he was willing to have the conversation, that's it. With Steve that wasn't always a given.

After a couple of minutes he started to shift a little on his feet and Danny disentangled them enough to search his face, noticing the red-rimmed and slightly glazed eyes. Steve was a little drunk at least, and Danny thought that probably had to do with the passiveness and vulnerability he was showing.

Danny ran his hands along Steve's arms, trying to get his attention.

"Do you want to go inside? It's getting a little cool out here."

Steve just nodded and started to walk to his house, while Danny picked up the empty bottles before following him inside, going to the kitchen to throw them in the trash and to give Steve a little space. He heard him heading upstairs, probably to change out of his wet swim trunks, so Danny retrieved a beer from the fridge for himself and a bottle of water for Steve and sat on the couch.

Steve came down a couple of minutes later, wearing just a pair of worn sweat pants and looking a little more like himself. He sat down beside Danny and looked at the bottle on the table.

"What, no beer for me?"

"Well, I thought since you had a head start maybe I could catch up while you tell me what happened. Then if you want, we can get drunk together, teenage style, singing under the moon style, whatever, you name it."

Danny watched a tiny hint of a smile tugging at Steve's mouth, while he picked up the water and drank a few sips from it.

"Also I set an alarm on my phone so I don't forget to rant to you tomorrow about the cleverness of getting in the ocean after getting drunk."

Steve rolled his eyes at that.

"I'm not drunk, Danny, it takes more than a couple of beers for that. I just…I was out there drinking and I felt the need of swimming, running, I don't know, doing something."

Even if Steve claimed he wasn't drunk, his speech was a little slurred and slower than normal, and his eyes had that sad glint again. Danny knew he had to ask or Steve would never get himself to talk on his own.

"What happened babe?"

Steve looked down at his hand on his lap, not looking up to speak.

"She was already waiting for me with her bags packed when I arrived home. She said she needed more than what a relationship can give her right now, more than what I can give her right now I guess. That she wanted to feel needed, so she's going to Nepal and doesn't know for how long."

Danny was trying to hide the rage boiling his blood right now. How could she have done that, just a few hours after telling him she didn't want anything more than staying here with Steve?

"What did you say?"

"I told her I couldn't wait for her anymore if she left. But she still did. Pretty sure that speaks for itself."

Danny put a hand on his arm. Steve still wasn't looking at him.

"I'm so sorry babe. She doesn't deserve you, that's for sure. And even if it doesn't look like that right now, I think it's better she did this now and not a few months or a year from now, you know?"

Steve just nodded slowly.

"You know, this might sound strange but even if I thought I loved her and I was ready to propose to her, after she left and I was drinking on the beach I couldn't help but feel like it's not really that she's gone what hurts so much, it's that…everyone leaves. I wanted…I wanted someone to stay, just this time."

Danny was sure that was the most emotional, sincere and heartbreaking thing he had ever heard from Steve's lips, probably helped by the alcohol he had taken, but whatever the reason he couldn't waste this opportunity of letting Steve know how wrong he was.

"Steve", he squeezed the arm he was grabbing but couldn't get his partner to look at him, so he scooted closer to him and grabbed his other shoulder with his free hand, forcing him to face him, "Steve, look at me. Not everyone leaves. I don't leave. I won't leave, ever."

Danny maintained his gaze because this was important, Steve had to understand it was true, and he could see the trust in the look he was given back.

"I know, Danny, I didn't mean it like that. You've always been here for me and I…I really appreciate it. I won't leave you either…" Steve lifted his hand and put it on Danny's shoulder, leaning a little forward like he wanted to hug him. They were barely inches away from each other now.

But Steve stopped mid-motion and suddenly lifted his head to barely touch Danny's lips with his own.

Danny was shocked for a few seconds but then almost on instinct he returned the kiss, equally soft and gentle, realizing Steve had barely moved, giving him the choice to reciprocate or move away. Not like moving away felt like an option right now, he could feel how Steve was showing him right now all the emotions he was always fighting to hide, he was allowing himself to be vulnerable.

Oh god he was indeed vulnerable right now, just a few hours after being abandoned again and at least half drunk, Danny couldn't help but feel like he was taking advantage of Steve, even if he had been the one starting the kiss. He slowly broke the contact and could immediately see the change on Steve's face expression.

"Danny, I'm sorry, I…" Steve was already moving to get off the couch, but Danny grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, wrapping him into a hug before Steve could protest.

"Listen to me, don't you dare apologizing. There's nothing to apologize for. But I think you should rest now and we can continue this conversation in the morning, what do you say? I'm not going anywhere, Steve."

Steve didn't say anything but relaxed in Danny's arms and they got more comfortable on the couch, Danny still protectively surrounding Steve while giving him a soft kiss on top of his head.

They could talk about all this tomorrow when they both could think more clearly. Danny really wasn't planning on going anywhere. Not now, not ever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there! Here you have the second chapter.**

 **It has minor spoilers for episode 6x04, I tried to include something coda in every chapter and I skipped the ones who could not be used for this plot. Please note that this fic is going to get more explicit as they continue to explore this new side of their relationship, but I also try to focus on their feelings and their deep bond.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Steve woke up slowly, feeling a little confused about where he was and whose arms were around him. It didn't last long though, after all these years he could recognize Danny's presence anywhere and he knew it was his partner's breath tickling at the back of his neck, his arm around Steve's waist.

Apparently they had moved at some point so they were lying sideways on the couch, Danny with his back to the couch and holding Steve against his chest, and judging by the light filtering through the curtains they had been sleeping for hours now, which actually amazed Steve. He certainly hadn't expected to sleep soundly just hours after Cath had left, but here he was, relaxed in Danny's embrace.

Danny, who had come to make sure he was okay, like he always did. He had made Steve feel better just by assuring him he would never leave, because deep in his soul, Steve knew it was true and it was enough to dissipate a little the dark cloud that had been surrounding him since hearing Cath's words.

Then he had…kissed Danny. _Oh god_ , he kissed Danny! Steve tensed immediately at the memory. What on earth had he done? And how was even possible that Danny stayed with him after that?

Berating himself for probably having fucked up the best friendship in his life, Steve slowly disentangled from Danny's arm, carefully laying it back on the couch and making sure he hadn't awakened before moving further. Danny just stirred a little before settling back down, a peaceful expression on his face. Steve wondered if that expression would change once he woke up and remembered the previous night's events.

Holding the deep sigh that threatened to escape his lips, Steve went silently to the kitchen and leaned on the counter, cradling his head with his hands. He didn't think a few hours ago that his life could be more fucked up, but apparently he had managed it.

Thinking about it, Steve still didn't know why he had done it, didn't even remember making the decision of kissing Danny, it just had felt…natural and the right thing to do. Oh and it had felt good, it had felt warm and safe, just like Danny…Danny who was still here, so maybe he was okay with it? But Steve remembered Danny breaking the kiss and telling him they would talk about it today, so he was probably just trying to be nice with him after his rough evening so he didn't have to feel like he was being rejected again.

Steve let the sigh out this time. _What a mess_. He should probably just act like nothing had happened and spare his friend that conversation since it was going to be a very awkward one to say the least.

"Hey, you okay babe?"

Steve turned around so fast he heard a cracking sound from his neck. Danny was there, standing in the doorframe, looking sleepy and adorable with his disheveled hair and half-open eyes.

"Yeah I uh…just didn't want to wake you up. Although your back must be complaining about the night on the couch, huh?"

"I'm fine, in fact I slept more than most nights. So…what about the meditation trance you were in just now? You sure you're okay?"

"Yes Danny, I'm fine okay? Want some coffee?"

Steve knew he was getting defensive and that wasn't the direction he wanted this to take, so he tried to change the subject by moving to start the coffee machine, but a hand on his bicep stopped him. He tried to shake himself free but the grip just got tighter and Steve turned to face Danny with a resigned sound. He looked like he was debating with himself whether to be angry or concerned.

"What the hell is your problem, huh?" Danny was looking him straight in the eye and Steve couldn't maintain his intense gaze right now. The hand around his arm loosened and Steve freed himself, still not looking at Danny.

"Is this about…what happened last night?" Danny's tone was much gentler now, but for some reason it just made Steve's insides turn into a tighter knot.

"Look, we don't have to talk about it Danny. I'm sorry and…you can just forget it, okay?"

There was a three-second pause that felt like an entire lifetime.

"Forget it? Why would I want to forget it, Steve?"

That wasn't the answer Steve was expecting and it actually made him look up. Danny's expression was honest and calm.

"I thought…"

Danny pushed him gently until Steve's back was pressed against the counter and put both his hands on Steve's face, speaking practically against his lips. "Maybe I should do the thinking around here, babe." And then he was kissing him. A sweet, gentle kiss just like last night, but it felt much more real.

Danny broke the kiss to look at Steve's astonished expression, still holding his face, and gave him a blinding smile. "Oh you big lug."

His lips were again onto Steve's, and this time he got with the program. The kiss became more demanding, both seeking for access as their hands began to roam each other's back.

Danny turned them and started to guide Steve backwards to the living room, not breaking contact in any moment and just opening his eyes between kisses long enough to make sure he didn't run Steve into a wall.

When they reached the couch again Danny gave him a gentle shove and took a moment to enjoy the gorgeous sight of Steve, shirtless and sprawled there with his lips red and a bit swollen from all the kissing.

Danny grinned and climbed on top of him, knees framing his hips and hands caressing those taut abs and up to his neck and cheek before leaning for another soft kiss. He somehow knew that Steve needed this, needed reassurance that Danny wanted it and it wasn't just a bout of lust for any of them. Steve put his hand over Danny's where it laid on his cheek and returned the kiss with matching softness.

They continued like this for a few minutes until Steve snuck a hand between their chests and started to wrestle with Danny's shirt buttons, apparently not happy with their unequal state of nakedness. Danny had taken off his shoes last night but apart from that he was still fully dressed, so he sat back on Steve's thighs and got rid of his shirt in record time before getting back to explore the body offered in front of him.

Running his hands along Steve's sides while laying kisses on his chest drew low moans from his partner so when he found a nipple on his way, Danny gently licked it until the nub was firm against his tongue and Steve was arching his back off the couch, bucking his hips against Danny's at the same time and letting him notice how much he was enjoying the attention.

Danny smiled against Steve's chest and dove back to give the other nipple the same treatment, reveling on the sounds that were escaping Steve's mouth. He continued kissing his way south until he found the waistband on Steve's sweatpants, hooking his fingers underneath it but waiting for Steve's reaction before pulling on them. Steve just planted his feet on the couch and pushed his hips up to help, and Danny smiled and tugged both his pants and boxers down, releasing his erection from its confines before getting off the couch so he could roll them off completely and also to be able to step off his own clothes.

Steve grabbed Danny by the belt and motioned for him to stand in front of his face so he could unbuckle it without having to get up. Once the belt and zipper were out of the way, Steve put his hands on Danny's sides, rubbing gently with his thumbs on his hips for a few seconds and then tugging the fabric and letting it fall to the floor around Danny's ankles without breaking eye contact while doing so.

Danny saw such intensity on those beautiful eyes that he quickly resumed his position on top of Steve, carefully lining their cocks so they would glide against each other every time they moved.

"Oh fuck Danny!"

Danny smiled at him while moving provocatively his hips against Steve's, more than glad with his reaction. Steve arched his back again before forcing Danny to lie flat against him with a hand on the back of his neck, taking advantage of the new position to start kissing and nipping at Danny's pulse point, eliciting moans of approval with his action. Both of them were moving rhythmically, Danny's lips on Steve's shoulder where he could reach him with his head still being held by Steve's grip and his neck being deliciously attacked.

Danny knew neither of them would last long, not this time, so he reached with his hand between them and put it around both their cocks, starting to pump slowly in synchrony with their movements. Steve reached out too with his free hand and put it around Danny's, increasing the sensation and making them both fall over the edge after just a few more thrusts of their hips. Steve nipped gently on Danny's neck while they were pulsing between their abdomens and they continued to massage through the last aftershocks until Danny collapsed limply on Steve's chest.

They stayed like that, ragged breaths trying to return to normal and Danny on top of Steve with his head crooked on his partner's neck, enjoying their company and the silent atmosphere of intimacy.

Steve moved his hand to caress Danny's back in a soothing motion, not looking bothered at all by the extra pressure on his chest. It took him a few minutes to finally speak.

"Are you okay, Danno? I think this is the longest you've gone without talking since I've known you." He hadn't stop the caress on his back, still going up and down leaving a warm trail on Danny's skin.

Danny snorted and the vibration traveled through Steve's neck.

"I'm more than okay, babe. I'm great. I just…thought you couldn't handle me talking a lot right now, didn't want to scare you. But don't worry, I can assure you I'm much more vocal normally."

"Scare me? What am I now, a leopard cub?" Steve was trying to sound affronted, but Danny could hear the glint of amusement in his voice.

Danny laid a small kiss on his neck before answering. "Mm, I was thinking more like kinda a baby seal, you know? I'm sure they get scared too."

Steve did sound affronted now. "A seal? You mean the kind with fins? What do we even have in common?"

"Well for starters the name you like so much and also…they're adorable, and so are you." Another kiss on his neck for emphasis.

It was Steve's turn to snort indignantly. "I'm not adorable." He pinched Danny on the side to make his point more clear, making him jump and sit back on his heels.

"Yeah, you are. But don't worry, I'll keep your secret." Danny grinned at him and leaned forward to give Steve another sweet kiss.

"How about a shower? Wanna join me?"

"Navy shower? Because then the answer is no, I'll just wait until you fall asleep and then take a long and restorative shower like normal human beings do."

Steve gave him one of his scarce genuine smiles, the ones Danny loved so much.

"I think I can make an exception. C'mon."

They got off the couch and Steve took hold of Danny's hand and led them to the bathroom and into the shower. They kissed lazily under the steaming water, with no heat or urgency, just sweet kisses and gentle touches. It wasn't sexual anymore, they just seemed to need the connection.

When they finished Danny dried Steve in an almost exact replay of last night on the beach, both of them smiling at the memory that now felt further away than it really was. Danny thought with amusement that he hadn't stopped smiling since he woke up earlier, that he didn't remember smiling so much for a long time. But just a look to the peaceful face of Steve in front of him while Danny ruffled playfully his hair with the towel and he knew he couldn't stop smiling even if he wanted.

Almost unconsciously they ended lying on Steve's bed, after all they had only slept a few hours on the couch and they were both still exhausted from the day before and its emotionally draining events.

They were having trouble keeping their lips off each other – not that they were trying _that_ hard – but after a while sleep was beckoning them and this time they settled in a reversal of the position on the couch, Steve spooning Danny with an arm around his waist, his other arm stretched under Danny's head.

Steve's eyes were already closing on their own accord when he felt Danny reach that outstretched hand, rubbing circles on his palm. It felt great and was pushing Steve deeper into slumber but he could tell Danny was deep in thought. Concern started to creep up his chest until Danny spoke, barely a whisper.

"You know I mean it, right babe? I won't leave you."

The knot behind Steve's ribs disappeared and a warm feeling blossomed, tears threatening to slip from the corners of his eyes. Because he knew it, he believed Danny. And it was an amazing feeling.

Not trusting his voice not to crack if he answered, Steve just tightened his embrace on Danny and pressed a long kiss to the back of his neck, the firmer grip on his hand he received in response telling him nothing else was needed.

* * *

Steve increased his pace as he strode to Danny's hospital room. Even if he felt a little guilty for letting Lou go handle the case while he went to visit Danny – with the eggplant parm Lou had gotten for him – he was also grateful for having the opportunity of seeing Danny alone for a little bit.

They hadn't had time to spend with each other over the past few days. They had fallen asleep the other day but Danny's phone rang not long after and he had had to go to the hospital for a meeting with Rachel and Charlie's doctor. Then the next days passed in a blurry of appointments Danny needed to take before the bone marrow extraction was done and lots of work for Steve, letting them just a few minutes to catch here and there and always surrounded by the team, so Steve was eager to be able to hug Danny without having to worry about making it look too…intimate.

He could hear the TV was on through the half closed door, imagining Danny would be bored out of his mind by now.

"Hey Danno, look what– "

Steve shut up immediately once he opened the door and was greeted by the sight of his asleep partner.

Danny looked a bit pale against the hospital sheet, but his face was relaxed and he didn't seem like he was in pain. Steve turned off the TV and laid the eggplant parm on the bedside table before hovering a little over Danny, searching for any indication of distress. There was none. Danny was sleeping soundly and even if Steve couldn't tell if it was due to sheer exhaustion or something the doctors gave him after the procedure, he still looked like he could use the extra sleep.

Steve looked at the steady rise and fall of Danny's chest for a while and then gently put back in place a wayward lock of hair crossing his forehead, stroking his temple carefully to avoid disturbing Danny's sleep.

The sight of Danny in bed and looking calm reminded Steve of the other day, even with the obvious differences, and made him think about Danny's words, the ones he couldn't answer at the moment but made him feel so warm and safe inside.

He felt the overwhelming urge of making Danny feel safe too, so he leaned forward and kissed Danny's forehead before whispering there "I won't leave you either, Danno. Ever."

Danny just stirred a little against Steve's lips, but it was enough.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **So, thoughts?**

 **C'mon guys, let me know if there's interest in the rest of the chapters! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Steve and Danny continue to explore the new stage of their relationship. Episode related 6x05.**

 **Another one today. I have to work tomorrow and I'm not sure if I'll be able to update so I decide to post another chapter before going to bed. I loved this chpater back on the day, I hope you like this version too ;).**

* * *

Steve felt unsettled. The day had started so well, training with the team while listening to Danny constantly reminding them how less than pleased he was about the whole race thing. The rest of them had teamed up to banter with him about his physical condition and athletic skills, but the truth was Danny was doing great besides his complaints and was in very good shape – something Steve had had the chance to closely ascertain lately – and they just loved to watch him all riled up and work himself to one of his epics rants, which was definitely accomplished with the mud session.

Danny had grabbed a giggling Kono from the end of the mud pool to give her payback for throwing him in it and she held on to Chin in response – Steve wasn't sure if her intention was trying to avoid getting showered in mud or just get them all covered in it faster. The result was the only one possible since the beginning – all four of them looking like chocolate cupcakes and throwing handfuls of mud to their so-called 'coaches'.

Things had been tense and difficult for all of them lately and laughing together until it actually hurt was an incredibly pleasant sensation. Danny had given Steve a soft smile before heading home to shower and change clothes and Steve had to force himself to turn around and do the same instead of pulling him into a tight, muddy hug and kiss him senseless like he really wanted to do.

His great mood lasted short though, immediately vanished when he received the third mysterious international call in the last few days. He couldn't help but worry, his first thought had been that it was Cath calling, and even if her leaving had first hurt him and then led him into something wonderful with Danny, he would always care for her well being.

He told Danny – because of course he wasn't going to hide it from him if it really was Cath's call – and his suggestion that it might be Doris surprised him. Steve didn't allow himself to think too much about his mother since it always drove him to a mix of longing and disappointment. Danny had made his best to reassure him that they would eventually discover the call's author but Steve hadn't missed the fleeting glimpse of…concern? that had crossed Danny's eyes when he told him this wasn't the first one of those calls. He really wanted to dig the reason of that look but they were already at the crime scene and Steve had not choice but to postpone his inquiry.

He would have to postpone it until next month apparently because they were soon so caught up in the current case that they found themselves preparing for the race before they even knew it.

Danny looked excited despite all of his ranting and it was proved during the race. His knee had always given him problems if he overdid it since he tore his ACL and towards the end he was limping and his face was showing the pain even if he tried to hide it. They asked him if he wanted to stop but he out flat refused so Steve and Chin ended up slipping under Danny's arms to give him support through the final path to the finish line.

They were out of themselves with happiness for winning the race and Steve couldn't help but wrap Danny into a hug as soon as they stopped and hold for dear life, at least until Kono prodded him on his arm to make him lift it so she could sneak in and close the circle in a group hug. They were al grinning like Cheshire cats while their friends congratulated them but by the time the official photos as winners were taken they were already coming down from the adrenaline rush and Danny looked more pained by the minute.

They quickly showered and changed clothes and Steve assured them he would take Danny to the hospital so they could check his knee. Kono was reluctant about not going with them and Steve knew she was worried, the recent events with Adam probably making her feel a little overprotective of her ohana, but Steve knew that was exactly the reason why she needed to get back home with her husband.

"Boss, you take care of him or we will never convince him again to do this."

"Hey, you're already never convincing me again to do this. Once was more than enough, thank you very much."

"Oh c'mon Danny, you know it was fun! You just don't want to admit you enjoyed it."

Danny looked between Kono's smiling face and Steve's grin and sighed dramatically.

"You see what you've done, Steve? You messed up her definition of fun and now I have to reeducate both of you. Like I didn't have enough with Super-SEAL here."

Kono laughed and gave them both a hug before letting his cousin do the same. They decided to have the big celebration dinner the next day when they were all well rested. Chin helped Danny into the Camaro and they headed to the hospital.

Two hours later they were already parking in front of Steve's house, fortunately there was nothing else torn but Danny's knee was pretty swollen due to the extra effort so the doctor had put a compressive bandage and had sent him home with instructions to take an anti-inflammatory for a few days and keep the leg elevated when possible. They had also given him a mild painkiller but if the slightly glassy look on Danny's eyes was any indication, it was working just fine.

Steve was starting to feel the tiredness too, muscles aching and remembering him the exertion they had been under just a couple of hours earlier, so he made quick work of fixing them something to eat and then helped a pliant Danny up the stairs and to the bedroom, depositing him gently on the bed.

Danny just lay there, watching Steve through half-mast eyelids while he stripped to his boxers, getting ready to sleep. Then he approached Danny and lifted his t-shirt over his head since Danny hadn't made any movement to try and remove his own clothes. In fact he was just staring at Steve like it was the first time he had ever seen him. Steve climbed carefully on the bed and on top of Danny, getting on his hands and knees to avoid any kind of pressure on the bad knee and smiling softly at his fixated partner.

They stared at each other for a few seconds until Danny reached up and gripped Steve's nose with his fingers, letting out a manic giggle at Steve's astonished face. Then Steve burst in laughter too.

"Oh god you're high, aren't you?"

Danny just shook his head no, still giggling. God Steve _loved_ that sound. His cheek was being cupped by Danny's hand now and he was mesmerized by the sweet expression on his partner's face.

"Your eyes are so beautiful…you know that?"

Steve was sure he was blushing furiously, he wasn't used to this kind of loving compliments. He covered Danny's hand with his own, closing his eyes for a moment and reveling in the warmth spreading through his chest. He was surprised to open them back and find a change on Danny's expression, definitely less relaxed and more concerned now. Apparently the painkiller had taken away Danny's capability of schooling his features. Not that he wasn't amazingly expressive any given day, those intense blue eyes could hardly hide anything and he had the most florid body language Steve had seen in his entire life.

"What's wrong Danno? Need something?" Steve had moved his hand to Danny's temple, carding his fingers through his hair in a soothing motion.

"No, it's just…" Danny was looking away from Steve now, apparently debating with himself if he should voice his concerns or not.

"What, Danny? C'mon, tell me please." Steve used the hand on Danny's head to gently force him to look back at him.

"I just…I was thinking that maybe if Catherine comes back…that you, well we…" Danny broke off and bit his bottom lip.

 _Oh_. So Steve hadn't imagined what he saw earlier. He felt kinda stupid for not having thought about how talking about this with Danny could had made him feel, but in his defense the idea of leaving him even if Cath came back and _begged_ him to get together again sounded so ridiculous to him that it didn't even cross his mind Danny could feel unsure about it. Steve had a strange feeling since that day he dared kissing Danny, like something had clicked into place inside him, and even if they really hadn't had a lot of time to spend together, _really together_ since then, he had no doubts about wanting to explore this growing bond between them. Maybe they should have talked about it, but probably Danny was just trying not to push him into the whole talk-about-feelings area, just another proof of how much he knew him.

"Danny, I care about Cath and of course I'd be worried if I thought she wasn't safe, but that has nothing to do with you…with us." That was the first time Steve referred to them as 'us' and he was sure his face was turning four shades of red again. "I would never leave you either, you know that right? I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise."

Danny's eyes showed sincere relief at his words and Steve decided it wasn't fair to continue this conversation any further when he couldn't control completely what he wanted or not to say, so he would just take care of Danny the best he could for now.

Still holding his head, Steve leaned forward and gave Danny a slow, lazy kiss, and Danny returned it with equal tenderness, lifting his arms to run his hands along Steve's back.

Steve broke the kiss after a few minutes, starting to feel the pull on his muscles from being in that position for too long, so he scooted backwards, gently pushing apart Danny's thighs to make room for himself to settle in between.

"How are you feeling, babe? Anything sore?"

Danny snorted at that.

"Anything? Everything is sore, you Neanderthal."

"Oh it's my fault then?" Steve went for affronted but failed resoundingly.

"Of course it's your fault. Who signed us for torture-race?"

Steve grinned at him. "Okay, guilty as charged. Let me apologize by massaging your exhausted legs a little, what do you think?"

"Mm, I think that's a good start. Go on, sailor."

Steve hooked his fingers on Danny's waistband before giving him a heated look. "Yes sir."

He pulled the sweatpants down and off Danny's legs, throwing them on the floor by the bed before starting to carefully knead the muscles on his thighs and calves. Danny threw his head back on the pillow and moaned softly each time Steve massaged an especially sore point, oblivious to the funny things those sounds were doing to Steve's stomach.

Soon Steve couldn't ignore the growing bulge on Danny's boxers, and acting on pure instinct and the need to make him feel better, he got rid of said boxers in a swift and smooth motion that probably was up to what Danny often called his 'ninja skills'.

He paused long enough to place a pillow under Danny's injured knee to make sure he was comfortable and then dove right back to cover his chest and abdomen with kisses and soft bites before licking his way down Danny's engorged cock. Danny was fisting the sheets and Steve could feel the tension on his legs, trembling with the effort of trying not to move too much.

Steve continued his saliva trail to the base of Danny's cock, licking up the underside to the head, and capturing it in his mouth, eliciting a low moan from Danny while he arched his back slightly off the mattress, followed by a hiss of pain after having planted his feet more firmly on the bed to do so.

Steve maneuvered them so he could hook his arms under Danny's thighs and rest his hands on his hips, allowing the knees to rest on his shoulders and avoiding the risk of Danny injuring himself with any unintentional writhing.

Pleased with their new position, Steve took Danny in his mouth, swirling his tongue around the head and sliding gradually up the length.

"Oh fuck babe…" Danny whispered, "that's so good."

Steve started to bob his head up and down, taking more of Danny's length each time, teasing him with his slow pace. Danny instinctively placed a hand on Steve's head then froze as he realized what he had done, clearly thinking that maybe Steve wouldn't like that.

He was already removing his hand when Steve caught it mid-motion and put it back where it was, leaving his own hand on top of Danny's to make sure he got the message, then increased his pace and moaned around his cock, making the vibrations send a jolt of electricity straight to his balls. Danny carded his fingers through Steve's hair and massaged his scalp, not trying to guide his movements but needing the extra contact right now.

Steve continued to increase his pace and Danny was writhing under his arms and sure he wasn't going to last long.

"Babe I'm close," Danny tugged a little on Steve's short hair, "god I'm gonna…"

Steve slowed down and looked at Danny's with lust-filled eyes before nodding and grabbing his hips firmly, pulling almost completely from Danny's cock just to take him back until the head slid into the entrance to his throat and then swallowed. The added pressure made Danny whimper and he was coming before he could even register it, pulsing down Steve's throat and feeling his vision almost become white around the edges with pleasure.

Danny lay there, basking in the afterglow of pure bliss and trying to remember how to form any coherent thought when he looked up to find that Steve had got rid of his own boxers and was pumping himself urgently.

"Come here babe." Danny reached out and guided Steve to his side, taking him with his hand while cupping the back of his neck with the other, drawing him into a passionate kiss.

Danny smeared the pre-come leaking from Steve's cock to reduce the friction and started pumping faster, making Steve moan in his mouth before coming between their chests.

"That was…" Danny murmured, his breathing still a bit ragged.

"Great." Steve finished for him, smiling widely and looking utterly relaxed. Danny would pay real money for being able to make him look that relaxed more often.

Steve got out off bed a few minutes later, retrieving his boxers from the floor before padding into the bathroom. He returned with a damp cloth and used it to clean Danny's chest and stomach, the caring gesture pushing Danny further into the grip of sleep.

When Steve finally settled beside Danny, a protective arm thrown across his waist, Danny laid a kiss on his forehead, thinking he could get used to this very fast before surrendering to the restorative darkness.

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 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I hope ypu enjoyed it and if that's the case let me hear your thoughts! It encourages me to keep posting.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, kinda busy week.**

 **This one is related to episode 6x06, the Halloween one. I hope you enjoy it and c'mon, hit the review button and let me know your thoughts ;)**

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Danny leaned his forehead on the steering wheel and sighed. What a hellish… _day_? He was so exhausted he didn't even know how much time had passed since they had been called because 'body parts' had appeared in the woods. The call had sounded bad enough with that description of the case, but the reality was even worse. The scene seemed taken from a bad horror movie and the fact that it was real made Danny's stomach churn convulsively.

Then the call from Rachel gave him cold sweats. His baby girl had been somewhere across the island in a party, probably surrounded by boys and wearing what Danny had hoped wasn't a very small costume.

So he had gone to find her even if the idea of not being with Steve to work the case hadn't sat well with his instincts, and finally, an indeterminate number of hours and an endless ride in that truck later, Danny made it to the hospital and to his son, Grace already safe with her less than pleased mother.

He ended spending the morning with Charlie, enjoying the warm innocence of his baby, trying not to think too much about the time he had missed with him because it always made him sad and angry and Danny didn't want those feelings to taint the time they spent together.

By afternoon Danny was fighting his own sleep and since Rachel was back anyway, he called a cab and went to retrieve his car from the garage, which led him to his actual position on the steering wheel, letting out an exhausted sigh.

He had called Steve a couple of hours ago to make sure he was okay – which Steve had assured him but Danny reserved the right to believe it when he saw it for himself – and apparently his partner hadn't slept either that night so he was heading to a mid-day nap after they talked. Danny was more than ready to do the same, and after another deep sigh he lifted his head and started the car, thinking about his very comfortable bed all the way home.

He had just opened the front door when he heard something coming from the kitchen and instinctively reached for his gun, but he froze mid-motion when the sound came buzzing across the house again. He _knew_ that giggle, and the deeper rumble of laughter that followed. A smile appeared immediately on his face and he quietly closed the door and sneaked around the kitchen.

The image before him was more revitalizing than any amount of coffee and Danny couldn't stop grinning. There they were, his beautiful daughter and his ridiculously hot partner, preparing a big pizza, hands covered in flour and no pineapple on sight.

Steve looked up, noticing Danny's presence on the doorway and throwing his way one of those lopsided smiles that made Danny want to kiss him hard and not stop until they needed to break for oxygen. He returned the smile but had to look away into his daughter's direction if he wanted to stop that line of – very inappropriate at the moment – thought.

"Hey Danno! Finally, we were starting to think we would have to eat all this by ourselves." Steve was still smiling, and Danny noticed now the various scrapes on his face, making a mental note to explain later the meaning of 'I'm good – really, I'm fine Danno' to Steve.

"What's going on here guys? Not that I'm complaining at all, you know."

Grace was looking at him a little sheepishly, so Danny opened his arms and motioned for her to come closer, which she did beaming at him, stepping into her father's arms and sliding her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry Danno…I wanted to go to that party but I don't want you to think I don't enjoy when I'm with you so…I thought we could prepare the pizza we always had for dinner on Halloween since we…well didn't exactly celebrate it this year."

Grace had said it all fast and had her head buried on his shirt now, and Danny couldn't help but feel very fortunate. Yes, his daughter was a teen now and he was sure it was going to give him many sleepless nights, but she was a good kid and had a very strong sense of right and wrong. Danny gently hugged her a little tighter, looking at Steve over her shoulder and seeing his soft expression reflected on his lover's eyes.

"It's okay baby. I knew the day you'd want to go to parties would arrive, I just was hoping it wouldn't happen in…I don't know, twenty years?" But this is great, really. How did you convince your mom anyway? She was very mad, didn't she ground you?" Danny had agreed with Rachel on the phone that they needed to ground her for this, but with the craziness of the day he didn't think about discussing it when they met on the hospital earlier.

Grace frowned a little at the question. "Yeah…but I told her I really wanted to come here for a while today and uncle Steve helped me convince her."

"He did?"

"Yes! He picked me up and we went together to the store to get the ingredients for the pizza." Grace sounded really happy to have gotten herself such a good partner in crime, and Danny looked back at Steve who was purposely focused on putting bacon slices in a symmetrical fashion and not looking at them.

Danny had to smile wider at his big lug of a partner, feeling uncomfortable with genuine compliments.

"So you helped plan this little op, huh babe?" That got Steve to look at him again, the corner of his mouth arching a little upwards.

"Well, I wasn't going to miss the Williams' special you've been talking about for years now. Speaking of which, this is almost ready. You two want to give it your final family touch?"

Grace and Danny joined Steve, putting the last ingredients on the pizza and preparing the rest of the food while it was in the oven. Soon they were having dinner and Danny couldn't stop grinning at the entire situation – the unexpected great dinner, extra time with his beloved daughter and the priceless sight of his tough as nails SEAL all but melted down around his adopted niece.

But even if they were having a great time, the recent crazy events were taking a toll on them. Grace seemed about to fall asleep right there on the table and Steve's dark circles looked more intense by the minute. Danny reluctantly accepted they needed to call it a night.

"Okay guys, I officially declare this the best delayed Halloween dinner ever. Thank you so much." He smiled widely at Steve and hugged his daughter from behind. "But sadly we need to get going before your mom gets impatient. Let's take all this to the kitchen and I'll deal with it later."

"No Danny, you go take Gracie to Rachel's, I'll take care of things here, okay?"

"Are you sure babe? You look pretty tired too."

"Yeah sure, I'm fine don't worry." He motioned for Grace to step into his embrace. "Bye kiddo, thanks for inviting me".

"Thank you uncle Steve, this was great."

She hugged him tightly and Danny wished he could take a photo of the adorable scene before his eyes.

The trip to Rachel's was quick but on his way back home Danny could feel the tiredness settling deeply in his bones. He parked the Camaro and opened his front door, already about to let Steve know he was back when he spotted dark hair poking out from the couch. He quietly approached it, putting his hands on the back on the couch and leaning forward to observe the face of his asleep partner.

Danny gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and Steve startled a little, his surprised expression quickly replaced by a soft smile once he realized who was with him.

"Hey Danno, back already? That was fast." Steve stretched his arms while Danny went around the couch, straddling Steve's thighs.

"Enough for you to fall asleep, babe." Danny cupped his cheek. "You haven't slept a lot, huh? Grace woke you up?"

Steve put his hands around Danny's waist, pulling him closer. "Yeah when she called I had only slept about two hours, but I wasn't going to miss this, c'mon. I also knew you would love it." He gave Danny another one of his sweet half smiles.

"I did love it, babe. Thank you so much for helping her and convincing Rachel. I really needed something like this after yesterday." He leaned on and kissed him softly, slowly, until Steve let out a low moan followed by a sigh.

"You're welcome, babe. To be honest I needed it too. This case was…unsettling to say the least."

Danny pulled back a little to observe Steve's face better, following with his thumb the scratches on his left side and gently probing at the puffy skin, trying to make sure there weren't any bumps underneath. Steve gasped lightly when he pressed on a particularly sore point but otherwise left him do as he wished, probably knowing Danny needed to make sure for himself he was really okay.

"Sorry babe. Are you okay? Have you had these taken care of?"

"Yeah there was an ambulance at the crime scene and they cleaned the cuts and gave me an anti-inflammatory. It's nothing babe, really. I just need to sleep it off."

Danny continued to stroke his cheek softly with his thumb, avoiding the damaged areas. "I'm sorry I wasn't there with you, Steve. Do you want to tell me more about what happened?" Steve had told him the general facts, but he knew this had shaken him and even if he could read it on the reports later, his lover would want to explain it to him first.

"Yeah, but not now. Now I think we both need to sleep, preferably snuggling up tightly, what do you think?" Steve planted little kisses across Danny's lips, and Danny smiled and got up and off Steve's legs, pulling him up by his hand.

"That's one of the best ideas you've ever had. C'mon, we'll take care of those gashes again and then sleep it is."

Danny led them to the bedroom and turned Steve so he could sit on the bed before going to the bathroom to retrieve the first aid kit. When he came back Steve was taking off his jeans and socks, and Danny couldn't help but admire his muscular legs flexing with the movement. He sat down by his partner's side and gently passed an antiseptic wipe on all the cuts before applying some anti-inflammatory cream on a nasty bruise forming on his temple.

"Anything else I should know about? Or maybe I should do a body search…"

"Just some bruises on my back and side." Steve said it smiling, since Danny was already lifting the hem of his t-shirt. That monster had pushed him against the ladder roughly and he knew there would be already bruising there, so no point in trying to hide it from his very thorough detective.

Steve knew he was right about the bruising as soon as he heard Danny's sharp intake of air. "Lie down on your stomach, babe. I'll put some ointment on you."

Steve obeyed, knowing how to choose his battles, and was rewarded with very gentle fingers rubbing the cool substance across his sore muscles, followed by a trail of soft kisses along his spine. He couldn't help the moan that escaped his lips in response to the caring ministrations.

"Turn around, please. I'm not done with you yet."

Steve turned to lie on his back and Danny treated the bruises across his ribs with the same reverential care, kissing them lightly before smearing ointment on them carefully.

"Are you sure any of these are cracked, babe? These bruises look nasty just after a few hours."

Danny was frowning a little and Steve could see the worry on his eyes, so he cupped his face and brought him closer, making Danny straddle him to follow the movement. "Hey, they're not cracked it's just some bruising, and I'm alright. Stop worrying, would you?"

Danny sighed heavily. "Okay, I'm just sorry I wasn't with you. This could have ended badly…"

Steve moved a hand to reach the back of Danny's head and bring him closer enough to kiss him. "It didn't, and you're here now." He kissed him again, more demanding this time, hoping to convey the message clearly with the kiss.

"I'm here, yeah." Danny smiled at him before throwing an attack at Steve's jaw, kissing and nipping his way down to his neck, pausing to suck lightly at his Adam's apple until Steve moaned and then continuing his wet trail along his collarbone and down his lover's taut abs, lips raising goosebumps on their wake.

Danny's hands reached the waistband of Steve's boxers – the only piece of clothing he was wearing – and suddenly his lover found extremely unacceptable the amount of fabric covering Danny's body. He quickly and insistently tugged off Danny's shirt and helped him get rid of his trousers until they were both wrestling each other's boxers out of the way.

Danny settled down again on top of Steve, intent on covering all of his body with kisses and nibbles, sucking slightly reddened patches on sensitive skin like his inner thighs and reveling in the sounds his lover was regaling him with. He started his way back up Steve's body, sliding his flat palms along the muscular thighs to plant them on his partner's narrow hips before licking up the underside of his cock and lay a wet kiss on the head. Steve writhed under his arms in response, letting out a sound that was close to a whimper and made Danny react by leaning forward to pummel his lover's mouth in a wild kiss, the need of deep connection between them overwhelming his senses and dictating his actions.

Steve opened his mouth to give access and returned the kiss with equal passion, moaning in pleasure into Danny's mouth when the blonde reached to stroke his cock without breaking the scorching kiss. Steve rearranged them so they were lying on their side and covered Danny's hand with his own, opening it wider to grip both their cocks at the same time while Danny held him close by the back of his neck, their kiss becoming more urgent every passing moment.

Danny broke both the kiss and his hand's movement abruptly and pulled back a little, looking a slightly confused Steve in the eye with such intensity that a shiver traveled through the base of his spine.

"Something wrong, Danno?" Steve was trying to understand what had made Danny stop his wild fit.

"No babe, nothing's wrong, but I want to do it. I want you to…" Danny didn't manage to finish the sentence and feeling speechless was a strange sensation for him but as he continued to stare at his lover's beautiful eyes, he saw them widen a little as realization dawned on him.

"You sure, babe? I mean, not that I don't want to, but I don't want to rush things or make you feel pressured or something and…" Danny stopped him with a kiss, licking languidly along Steve's bottom lip before twisting a little to reach the bedside table's drawer and produce a small bottle of lube and a condom, showing them to an adorably shocked Steve.

"I don't feel pressured, babe. It's not that I was anxious or something either, I love how we've been getting to know each other better these past weeks but I knew we would be ready at some point and I didn't want us to have to wait because we weren't prepared. I really want this. I need to feel connected to you today." He kissed him again, sweetly, trying to pass with the kiss all the love he was feeling right now.

Steve smiled against his lips. "And you call me a boy scout." He grinned a little before his expression turned a little more serious, and he looked away from Danny.

"What is it? Babe, if you're not comfortable with…"

"No, I want it too, Danny. I want it so much but…I don't think I'm ready, you know, not for…I just don't want to be unfair to you."

 _Oh_. That was it then. Danny wasn't at all surprised, he had expected some reluctance on that part given Steve's military training and maybe the general way he had been raised, but he wasn't refusing plainly and that was a good thing as far as Danny was concerned. Right now his only worry was that his beautiful man thought he was being unfair for not being at the same point in this. He was adorably clueless in Danny's eyes and he reached to cup his face with both hands to get his undivided attention.

"Hey, this isn't a competition or something we need to do on a schedule. I understand you and things will follow their own pace. But right now I just want you to make love to me, babe. How is that unfair to me, huh?" He finished his statement with a sealing kiss and watched some of the worry fade away from Steve's features as he smiled again, lust and love returning to flash on his eyes.

They started kissing again while Steve got on top of Danny, exploring his chest and abdomen with his hands and following the trail with his mouth, sucking on a nipple until it was hard and licking around afterwards to soothe it. He gave the same attention to the other nipple and by the time he reached Danny's groin, both of their cocks were fully hard again after having softened a little during the brief interruption.

Steve straightened a little, reaching for a pillow and putting it under Danny's ass to lift his hips a little and kissing his inner thigh and his bad knee in the process. Then he grabbed the lube and condom from their place beside Danny's arm and carefully rolled the rubber on himself, not breaking eye contact at any moment.

Danny watched him there, kneeling between his legs, the dimmed light filtering through the windows making his skin glow somehow and those beautiful eyes full of lust and focusing only in him. He was gorgeous and Danny itched for his touch, he needed to feel flesh to flesh and the heartbeat of his lover against his own chest.

Like he could read his thoughts, Steve coated his fingers and cock with lube and leaned forward, kissing Danny's jawline while slowly massaging his way between Danny's cheeks and around his hole, licking all the way up to his ear and back to his lips before engaging in a passionate kiss at the same time he gently pushed one finger inside Danny.

Danny moaned at the sensation, biting down a little on Steve's lip and thrusting his hips slightly upwards to encourage his partner to continue, which he did, slowly and carefully and without breaking their mouth's contact, exactly what Danny needed, until he could work three fingers with relative ease and Danny thrust his hips again against Steve's hand.

"You ready, babe?" Steve's voice was incredibly soft, and Danny couldn't be more ready.

"Yeah, c'mon, I want to feel you Steve…" Danny reached for another quick kiss and Steve pulled back a little, just enough to position himself at Danny's entrance, but not pressing or moving any further. Danny cupped the back of his neck with his hand and brought him back against his chest again, Steve going with the movement and pushing inside of Danny just a little bit.

Both of them moaned at the same time and Danny felt overwhelmed by the sensations. It wasn't painful, Steve was being too careful to allow that, but there was pressure and stretch and above all there was Steve, his presence and their connection overriding everything else.

Steve was barely moving and Danny looped his legs around his lover's waist, pulling him softly so he was inch by inch as buried in him as he could.

Danny opened his eyes – he didn't know he had closed them – and Steve's face was there, looking at him with an expression that could only be described as total adoration, and Danny answered for him the question he could read on his eyes, even if his lover seemed to have lost his ability to speak for the time being.

"Move, babe. I'm alright, it's great…"

Steve started to move slowly, and Danny held him close, interleaving sweet kisses with more passionate ones and moaning in each other's mouth. After Steve was convinced he wasn't hurting Danny, he changed the angle a little and sped up slightly, hitting Danny's prostate with each pass and making him writhe with pleasure.

"Oh, Danny. You feel so good, so good…"

It was Danny's turn of not being able to answer, Steve was relentlessly stroking his prostate now and he was so lost in his own pleasure that he knew he wouldn't last long, he could feel his orgasm building low in his belly even if his cock remained untouched at the moment.

But before he could make an attempt to reach in that direction, Steve braced himself in one of his forearms and started to pump Danny's cock with his other hand, matching the movements with his hip's thrusts.

"Oh god, I'm close babe, so good…"

"Come, Danny. C'mon baby, come for me."

Steve's low voice right above his ear was his undoing and Danny came, pleasure exploding behind his eyelids as he called his lover's name and held tighter onto him, wanting to feel as much skin as possible. His orgasm hit him hard, harder than he could remember, and he felt himself falling into a happy bliss, noticing that Steve's thrusts were becoming jerkier and he was calling his name like a mantra until he stopped and lay limp on top of him, Danny's foggy brain barely processing the ragged breaths of his lover right on his neck before giving up to his blissful slumber.

When he opened his eyes again, it was dark and Danny blinked, trying to remember how he got on his side and under the covers. _Oh great_ , he must have fallen asleep right after they finished. In his defense, he hadn't slept a single minute in who knew how many hours now, and their first time had been…well, like all of their first times, a big great deal. Danny could feel he was alone on the bed and he closed his eyes again, trying to get his barely functioning brain to decide if he should go search his partner in case he was having any misplaced thoughts after their first time or simply getting in trouble – because that was his specialty – when he heard steps approaching him and felt Steve getting slowly in bed, clearly thinking he was asleep and not wanting to disturb him.

Danny didn't know why he didn't let Steve know he was awake, he blamed his sleep-deprived brain, but when Steve carefully spooned behind him and barely kissed the back of his neck he just let himself embrace the warmth he was feeling, ready to fall asleep again and hopefully for at least eight hours in a row.

"I love you."

It was barely a whisper, coming from the mouth barely touching his skin, and there was no way Danny was telling Steve he was awake now, so he just lay there, listening until his lover's breathing was deep and even and willing his own heart to slow down again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here you have another one, it's briefly related to episode 6x08. I skipped episode 6x07 because I had nothing to use here from a Steve/Lynn focused episode.**

 **Thanks to all of you who had reviewed, keep them coming! :)**

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The wonderful scent of fresh coffee woke him up. It was one of the few things that could break through his foggy brain and beckon him from sleep. Danny rolled a bit on the bed, extending an arm and sighing at the empty space beside him. He wished it hadn't been the coffee though, he specifically wanted a certain tall, dark and handsome SEAL to wake him up, preferably by igniting his senses. He knew the thought might be a little selfish and of course he understood Steve's love for his work out routine and would never ask him to change it, but wanting a few mornings for himself – for themselves – wasn't asking too much, was it? Well, he'll just have to offer him a better alternative that also included exercising, and Danny was sure he could manage that.

Grinning at himself, he got off the bed and padded into the bathroom where a small reddened mark below his collarbone caught his attention from the mirror's reflection and reminded him of last night's activities. Not that he could forget it, it had been amazing and just the memory sent a shiver through his spine. Then of course, as if it hadn't been special enough, Steve had surprised him with his barely whispered confession and okay, he said it when he thought Danny was sleeping, but the fact was he had heard it so what should he do now? Was he supposed to tell him? Should he be even making such a big deal about this? They had said they loved each other countless times in the last few years, and even if things were different now, Danny had known he loved his big lug of a partner for a very long time now. It still felt pretty great hearing it, Danny had slept like a baby snuggled tightly with his lover and he was already missing those big, warm hands on his skin.

With that in mind, Danny went to the kitchen and stopped at the door frame, drinking in the sight of Steve, shirtless and still a little sweaty, looking absolutely delectable while pouring two cups of coffee.

Steve looked at him and smiled softly, making Danny feel the sudden need of waking up everyday to that smile. "Morning Danno. Slept well?"

Danny moved to stand behind Steve, reaching around him to rub his hands along his naked chest and lean his head on his lover's back.

"Mmm pretty well, babe. Although I missed you by my side when I woke up. In fact I came ready to rant to you about leaving the bed at unholy hours but I have to say, if this is the sight I can expect I may need to revise my complaint."

Steve laughed at that, the vibrations reverberating through Danny's chest as he leaned on his touch for a moment before turning around to face Danny and bring him close with a gentle grip on his hips.

"I'm sorry, but you looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you up. But we went to sleep pretty early yesterday and I needed to get up and run a little, and I only had these shorts in the Camaro, so…"

"So you gave a little show to my neighbors, huh?" Danny leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on Steve's lips, his hands roaming the broad muscles on his back while Steve's thumbs rubbed circles on his hips. "I may ask a retribution for that, you know?"

Steve smiled against his mouth and slipped a hand under Danny's t-shirt. "Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?" He bent his head and started kissing down his neck, stopping to lick softly at the mark there and Danny lifted his hand to tangle his fingers on Steve's short hair, momentarily forgetting what he was about to say.

"I, uh…I want a private show, one the rest of the neighborhood hasn't seen, of course." His breathing was already ragged, and Steve only had needed to lay a trail of kisses and moan softly against his neck to accomplish that.

His lover pulled back after a heated last kiss and gave him a lustful look. "Okay, then. I think we both need a shower. Wanna join me?"

He smiled, getting free from Danny's grip and turning around to leave, but right when Danny was about to complain he stopped by the couch and slowly hooked his thumbs on the waistband of his shorts and pulled them down, along with his boxers in a swift move that left a dumbfounded Danny staring at Steve's ridiculously perfect ass.

He looked at Danny over his shoulder and gave him one of those lopsided smiles. "Weren't you coming, babe?"

 _Cheeky bastard_ , Danny thought and grinned to himself before following his lover who was already stepping into the shower and offering him a hand so he could join him under the hot spray.

Their hands went immediately to resume the exploration of every inch of skin, like magnets unable to fight their attraction.

"So…I knew you were very fond of taking off your shirt at every given chance but…that was new."

Steve turned them so he was shielding Danny's face from the water and reached for the body wash, putting some in his palm before starting to rub on the blonde's shoulders and down his arms.

"Well, you wanted new, didn't you? And this is part of my private performance…how you like it, babe?" Steve was gently spreading the body wash on Danny's body, igniting every nerve termination and making him moan in pleasure.

"Mm babe, you don't know what you're doing, the precedent you're setting here…" Danny had reached to touch too, trying not to get in the middle of his lover's movements but needing to feel him under his fingertips. His hand was wrapping around the base of Steve cock – completely hard by now, just as Danny's – when smooth fingers ghosted around his hole, rubbing gently at the still sensitive skin.

He knew what his overprotective partner was doing, trying to make sure he was fine even if he could have just told him that. They didn't have enough time for Danny to demonstrate him how really fine he was, they only had a few minutes before bordering on being late for work, but he was sure as hell going to end this shower in an even higher note.

"Babe, I'm fine. Really, last night was incredible and I couldn't be better." He laid a small kiss on his lover's chest for emphasis. "Now lean back and let me do my part of the performance." He smiled and planted his palm right where he had just laid the kiss, pushing Steve gently against the tiles.

He cupped his face with both hands and they shared a passionate kiss, Steve's fingertips caressing down his spine until his hands were cupping Danny's ass cheeks. They stayed like that for a few moments, just enjoying the contact of their wet skins and the tenderness of their lips. Danny was the first one to move, since apparently his lover wasn't very worried about the time factor, and he started to kiss his way down Steve's chest while blindly reaching for the body wash to lavish the body in front of him with the same reverence he had received.

He rubbed at Steve's stomach and hips, sliding his hands along the taut inner thighs and smiling at the soft moan he elicited from his lover's when his fingers brushed his groin without touching the hard cock. Grabbing Steve's hips for support, Danny slowly kneeled down in front of him – thanking mentally Steve for buying the padded, non-skid rug under his knees – and hearing the strangled gasp his lover let out when he realized what he was doing before widening a little his stance to have more stability.

Danny's hands returned his way up Steve's thighs while he leaned forward and licked the underside of his cock, swirling his tongue around the head before taking it in his mouth at the same time he cupped his lover's balls with his hand. Steve moaned, a low and blissful sound and his hands came to rest on Danny's head, combing lightly through his hair while Danny sucked the head of his cock and massaged softly his ball sack simultaneously.

"Oh god Danny, so good…"

Steve continued to gently massage his scalp, and Danny bobbed his head up and down his length, pulling almost completely every few passes to take him in completely again, reveling on the sight of Steve's expression, they way his legs trembled slightly with the effort of not arching his back too much with pleasure and thrust into Danny's mouth as consequence.

"Danny, I'm close baby, I'm close…"

Danny looked up at him, not slowing down a bit, intent on pushing his lover over the edge and wanting to witness his beautiful face when he did so. Steve tightened a little the grip on his hair, just a reflection of the shivers running through his body and Danny took him deeper until he could feel the head at the entrance of his throat and then, just like Steve had done that night, he swallowed around his lover's cock, feeling the tension on his body as he chanted Danny's name while pulsing down his throat.

He pulled back a little and held Steve through his orgasm, licking the head one final time before letting the softening cock slide out of his mouth, Steve leaning heavily against the tiles with his eyes closed, his hands refusing to let go of Danny's hair.

He got up and leaned on Steve to kiss him languidly, the hand on his head falling to the back of his neck and using the leverage to hold him closer and deepen the kiss while the other one reached to stroke his engorged cock where it stood between them. Danny was already close, the sight of his lover's pleasure enough to leave him on the edge, and it only took a few skilled strokes and a heated attack to his neck to push him over it, coming between their stomachs while nibbling lightly at Steve's shoulder.

They hugged each other under the warm water, their breathings returning to normal until they seemed to remember they had a work to get to and moved to wash themselves again, this time for real.

* * *

Danny couldn't shake the tightness in his chest. For the past few days, every since their first time and Steve's clandestine 'confession' he had been debating with himself whether to tell Steve he had heard him or not, say something about the subject. Every time they started to kiss, touch each other or just snuggle together in bed, he felt the urge of telling him but then something pulled him back, like he was afraid of Steve's reaction to being 'caught in the act'. He knew he was being stupid and seriously overthinking this, but the fact was he still hadn't managed to find the right moment for it.

Then today happened. Just about an hour earlier they were at that suspect's house and one of them – or both – could have died. Just like that. A single shot and if it wasn't for that infuriating con man the day could have ended very differently.

The incident had shaken him to the core and it also affected Steve, if the fact that he was driving his own car before his partner _offered_ him was any indication. They asked HPD to get Hank back to the palace because they needed some time alone to collect their thoughts, and the ride was being made in a deafening silence that had Danny about to explode with the need to say something.

They were about to pass a secluded parking lot used mostly by hikers who left there their cars before accessing the trails, and without thinking twice Danny turned right, going right to the end of the lot before stopping the Camaro. That's when Steve realized they had deviated from their path, and Danny was surprised about just how little attention he was paying to their surroundings.

"Danny, what –"

"I love you too." It came out rushed and a little loud, but he needed Steve to let him talk right now. 

"What? You…too?" Steve's face was a combination of confusion and embarrassment and Danny thought he was utterly adorable.

"Yeah, I love you too. I heard you the other night. I had just opened my eyes and was half asleep anyway so I didn't say anything because you didn't seem to want me to hear it and…since then I've been wanting to tell you I heard it and I feel the same but for some reason I didn't," Danny stopped to breathe and sighed, he was speaking very fast – even for him – and he needed to get a grip and slow down. "Then today happened and I felt pretty stupid. You could have died, we could have died. And that can happen any day, even more in our line of work. So I felt really stupid for mulling over telling you or not when the truth is I love you, I love you so much and I want you to know it, every day, each time I get the chance to say it to you. I love you, Steve. And now I'm going to shut up and breathe for a little while, okay?"

Steve's expression had changed from shocked to pained when Danny mentioned the recent events and then to soft and smiling around the end of Danny's tirade. He reached for Danny and hugged him as well as he could in their current space and rested his face against his pulse point, his words coming out muffled because of the position.

"I love you, babe. All I wanted to do back there at the crime scene was hug you tightly and tell you how much I love you. I'm sorry you felt like I didn't want you to hear it, but I thought you were asleep and I was feeling a little overwhelmed so when I lay down by your side I just felt the need to say it. I'm not hiding, and I'm glad you heard it. Even if it took you long enough to bring up the subject, I'm surprised you haven't passed out with the effort of not talking about something."

Danny could feel the smile against his neck and he pulled Steve back a little, punching him lightly on the arm. "Shut up, Steven." He gave him a soft kiss and they returned to their positions, both of them ready to go now that the heavy weight on their chests had lifted a little.

"Okay, let's go or our very intuitive team will start getting suspicious."

Danny snorted at that. "Something tells me they might not be all that surprised, babe."

He started the car again and the rest of the ride was almost silent too, but this was a calm, warm silence, and Danny knew Steve felt the same way every time he stole a glance to his partner just to discover him deep in thought, looking through the window with a small smile curving his lips, and god if that wasn't one of the best images in Danny's life.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! You know reposting this is making me review some of the episodes to remember to which one is each chapter related and I'm enjoying it a lot, it's really making me want to continue this story , so I guess that's a good thing. Thanks again for your encouraging reviews, I always want to hear your thoughts!**

 **This one is related to episode 6x09, I really liked Danny as a professor, and I guessed Steve would like it too ;)**

* * *

Steve grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and headed to the couch, letting himself fall on it with a sigh. He took a long sip and leaned his head on the back of the sofa, closing his eyes and relaxing for the first time in days. It had been a long week, the case keeping them busy and the impending hearing about Nahele's custody just adding worry to the already uneasy feeling in Steve's chest due to Danny's undercover work.

He knew it had been his idea and he absolutely trusted in Danny's abilities as a cop, but after all a professor had been murdered and he couldn't help but worry until the moment they had the murderer in custody.

The undercover job also meant that they had barely seen each other the past few days, and the fact that the scarce times he had seen Danny in his professor outfit he looked hot as hell surely didn't help. Damn he had never imagined Danny could look that sexy with those glasses, and it had been a great effort not to make it obvious how much he liked the sight in front of his team.

At least it was over now, Danny had told him he needed to call his nephew and swing by his home to grab some things and Steve smiled to himself at the thought of how quickly he had grown accustomed to Danny's presence at his house, his voice filling with life the usually too quiet rooms. This wasn't new, Danny had been filling his life with light and words – lots of words – for years, but now that they were together the nights he spent alone here there was an absence impossible to ignore. Steve thought that realization should scare him, the feeling of needing someone was something he had avoided for the most part of his life, but the truth was it didn't and maybe that was the scariest part.

Deciding he didn't want to look too deep into that line of thought right now, he took his phone from his pocket and typed a message for Danny, hoping it would make him come home faster.

 ** _[How long until you arrive, professor Jeffries? I may need a private lesson…]_**

The vibration of his phone roughly thirty seconds later put a smug smile on his lips before even reading the message.

 ** _[On my way, Steven. You definitely need more than one private lesson. I hope you're ready for it.]_**

Steve's smile grew wider and he quickly took off his t-shirt before bending forward to get rid of the shoes and socks, deciding he would keep his cargo pants on to maintain a bit of formality for his 'class'.

He had almost finished his beer and was berating himself for looking at his watch every minute like a greedy teenager when he heard the familiar sound of the Camaro, so he laid the empty bottle on the table and turned to rest on his right side, not wanting to miss his lover's entry.

Danny came in and Steve gasped slightly at the sight of Danny in his full professor look, complete with the glasses – which he was sure Danny wasn't wearing at the office – and the backpack that made his shoulders look ever broader. Then his partner spotted him on the sofa and gave him a lopsided smile, making him realize that his eyes were tingling a little, probably because he had forgotten to blink for the past minute.

"So…I bet you were pretty popular among your students, professor Jeffries."

Danny smiled smugly at him while sliding the backpack off his shoulders in what Steve was sure was a pretty deliberately slow movement before letting it fall to the floor and advancing towards him.

He loosened his tie a little and straddled Steve's thighs on the sofa, resting his hands on either side of his head and letting the end of the tie tickle on his lover's abs.

"Well, a young lady told me she thought I was very…approachable." He leaned forward even more, feeling Steve's warm breath on his lips but not touching him, noticing how his eyes were darkening with lust. "At least I know how to dress for every occasion, unlike you. Or do you think this is an appropriate outfit for a class, Steven?"

The way Danny called him 'Steven' always sent shivers through his spine, and he took hold of the dangling tie, keeping him even closer and speaking against his lips. "You're right, I think I might be overdressed."

Then they were kissing and smiling into each other's mouths, Steve not loosening his grip on the tie and Danny's hands roaming along Steve's sides and traveling up until they were cupping his face, gently breaking the kiss.

"I missed you, babe." Danny said, caressing Steve's bottom lip with his thumb and leaning to plant soft kisses along his jaw and down his throat, eliciting a deep moan from his lover when he sucked gently at his pulse point, careful not to leave a mark in such a visible spot.

"Mm…I missed you too, Danny. It was killing me knowing you were out there looking this hot and that I couldn't…" his breath hitched when Danny suddenly sucked in a different spot above his collarbone "…enjoy it myself."

Danny straightened up a little, grinning and hooking his fingers on Steve's waistband.

"So…you've been eager to have this private class, right? Shall we start the lesson then?"

He unbuttoned the pants and started to pull them along his lover's thighs, and Steve moved to help him with his own hands, but Danny grabbed his wrists and gently put his arms at his sides, pressing them slightly against the couch and giving him a look that clearly transmitted he should leave them there. Steve looked at him through long eyelashes and let out what sounded pretty much like a whimper, and Danny stored that information for later use.

Pausing for a second to make sure Steve complied, Danny went back to the task of getting his lover completely naked, pulling his pants along with his boxers and throwing them on the floor before running his palms along Steve's calves and up his inner thighs, motioning for him to spread them wider.

Danny picked up a cushion from the armchair and knelt on it between Steve's legs, reaching underneath him to bring his hips closer to the edge of the couch, reveling in the fact that Steve was intently looking at him but hadn't moved from the position Danny had left him in, like he was afraid Danny would stop the 'class'. And oh boy, they were both going to enjoy this lesson, Danny was going to make sure of that.

He kept the hold on Steve's hips and licked up the underside of his cock, laying a sweet kiss on the head before taking it on his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and pressing his palms flat against his lover's hips when started to writhe underneath him.

He repeated his actions a few times, pulling off completely before taking the head into his mouth again, making short movements that he knew weren't stimulating enough until Steve was sounding a little desperate and trying to thrust his hips a little to deepen their connection.

That was when Danny pulled out completely, sitting back on his heels to reach for something in his backpack, producing a small bottle of lube he had picked up at his house earlier and smirking at Steve a few seconds later.

Steve snorted at the sight of the bottle. "You sure are a well prepared professor."

Danny smiled widely at him and repositioned himself between the SEAL's thighs, licking at the spot on his inner thigh that he had learned by now was a very sensitive one. Then he looked his lover directly in the eye.

"Do you trust me, babe?" He noticed how Steve's muscles tensed for a second before relaxing again and he didn't say anything, just kept rubbing soothing circles on his thigh, until Steve nodded slowly.

"I intend to make you feel pretty good, but you know you say stop and –"

"I trust you, Danny."

Steve interrupted him mid sentence and the look he was giving Danny was so honest and open that Danny's chest warmed at the implications of that apparently simple confession. Because it wasn't simple for Steve, trust was something he had given scarcely in his life and usually the results hadn't been encouraging. Danny was going to change that, even if he had to work on it for the rest of his life.

He just smiled at him again, a soft, full of love smile and uncapped the bottle to pour some lube on his hand. He had been thinking for a while now about how he could make Steve more comfortable with the whole bottoming thing, not because he wasn't enjoying what they were doing but because he enjoyed it so much that he didn't want Steve to miss it out without even knowing how good it could be. So he thought this could be a good start, and the professor roleplay they had going on was the perfect occasion to try it.

He coated two fingers with lube, pretty aware of Steve's quickening breathing, and used the rest around his palm to reach Steve's balls and massage them gently, lifting them a little and taking the head of his cock into his mouth again, repeating the swirling from minutes ago while rubbing the path to his lover's hole with his lubed fingers.

He massaged around it in circles, waiting for Steve to relax completely and then pressed his tongue flat against the underside of his cock and took his length deep in his mouth at the same time he pressed his finger a little inside, gently and slowly.

Steve moaned again and Danny started to bob up and down his length slowly, the pace allowing him to control the movement of his finger, carefully pressing it further inside before taking it off almost completely. After repeating it a few times, Danny changed the angle slightly, aiming to find his lover's prostate and knowing he had succeeded when Steve tensed around his finger and unconsciously thrust a little into his mouth.

Danny let go of his balls to put his palm flat again against Steve's hip and repeated the movement, speeding both his bobbing and his finger's movement.

"Oh Danny…Danny…"

He looked up at Steve, who had his head back against the couch, his eyes closed and his mouth half open in a blissful expression, chanting his name or moaning each time Danny brushed over his gland. Danny knew he was close, and he didn't want to finish things like this, at least not today, so he slowly withdrew his finger and let go of his lover's cock with a last swirl around the head.

He got up and Steve looked at him, confusion and pleasure written all over his face, but he just observed as Danny quickly undressed himself.

"Leave the tie on…"

Steve was giving him one of the most lustful looks he had ever seen and he let the tie loosely dangling on his chest, grinning as he straddled his partner again.

"Oh, so you like the tie now?" He gave him a kiss and Steve returned it passionately, biting gently on his lip before pulling off.

"Well, I think they might have some uses after all." He smoothed the tie against Danny's chest, cupping the back of his head his with other hand to engage in another heated kiss.

"That they have, babe. I'll show you how useful they can be. There are still lots of lessons I could teach you."

"Mm, looking forward to that. Now, where were we? Because I gotta say, I was feeling pretty great before you stopped."

Danny laughed at that, happy to know his little plan had been a success. "I'm so glad to hear that babe, but I wanted something different for the final show. I want to ride you, feel you inside…really feel you."

Steve's eyes widened a little. "You mean…without…?"

"Yeah, well if you want to, but I know we're clean, we both get checked out for everything out there more often than I'd like to, so…"

Steve's hand squeezed a little on the back of his head where it was still resting, reaching for his lips again.

"Oh god Danny yes, do it please."

Danny smiled and straightened a little, resting his hands on Steve's shoulders and before his lover could know what was happening he was sinking down slowly, stopping when just the head had entered him.

Steve gasped at the sensation. "Wait, when..?"

"Well as you said, I'm a very prepared professor." Danny smiled and sank down a little further, leaning to kiss off the priceless stunned expression on his adorable SEAL's face. His little planning had worked out perfectly so far.

They both moaned simultaneously when Danny sat down as deep as he could go, and he gave himself a moment before starting to move, Steve's hands resting on his waist and letting him lead the pace.

When Danny had found the right pace that had them both moaning softly he grabbed Steve's hands and remembering his previous reaction he pushed them against the back of the couch on each side of his head and held them there intertwining their fingers.

Steve moaned louder and started thrusting up a little more, meeting Danny's movements halfway and intermittently pressing against his hands in what Danny suspected was a way to make him press back. Oh he was definitely storing that information for later analysis.

As their rhythm sped up it was harder to maintain that position and Danny let go one of his lover's hands to hold on his shoulder for better leverage, and Steve immediately grabbed his tie with his free hand, fisting the material and pulling Danny down for a wild kiss, struggling to get his other hand free a few seconds later and rubbing it against Danny's still slick palm before taking hold of his hard cock, pumping it at the same pace of their movements until Danny cried out his name against his lips and came between their stomachs. Danny clenching around his cock sent him over the edge and Steve came too, still gently massaging his lover through the last of his aftershocks, until Danny collapsed completely on top of Steve, both breathing raggedly and unwilling to move.

After a few minutes Steve's hand started to rub along Danny's back, a gentle caress that always made him feel safe and loved.

"That was a hell of a class, Danny. Where do I sign up for more?"

Danny couldn't see Steve's face, with his own still stuffed against his lover's hot neck, but he could hear the bliss and the amusement mixed up in his voice tone. Danny just let out a manic giggle, unable to form coherent sentences for the moment and just wanting to enjoy the warm embrace as long as possible.

He woke up and immediately knew that Steve was awake too. It wasn't the first time that happened, it was like he had developed a sense of knowing when something was bothering him since they had been sleeping together, and more than once he had woken up to find an apologetic Steve who thought he had done something to interrupt his sleep.

He turned to his right, expecting to find his partner looking at the ceiling lost in thought or something similar, but he was on his side and apparently looking at Danny.

"Hey babe, something wrong? You can't sleep?" It should be around six judging by the red light starting to filter through the blinds and that was early even for his crazy sport junkie lover.

Steve just smiled at him and leaned to lay a sweet kiss on his forehead. "Nothing wrong, just wondering how I got so lucky to have you here with me."

That took Danny by surprise, Steve didn't usually say things like that all of a sudden, and it usually meant he was worried about something that made him think about the important things in his life and how often he had lost them.

He turned completely so he could gave him a matching soft kiss on the lips before resting his head on Steve's shoulder and throwing an arm across his waist. Steve's fingers started to comb through his hair and Danny was afraid of falling back asleep right then and there as a result.

"I'm the lucky one, babe. Although I'm a really a good catch, you know? Maybe you're a little luckier than me." Steve snorted and gave him a gentle tap on the head, and he laid another kiss on the spot he could reach from his position. "I love you babe, you know that."

"Yeah Danno, I love you too." He squeezed the back of his neck gently for emphasis.

"You're worried about Nahele's hearing, right?" Danny knew how much he cared about the boy and it just made him love him more.

"I know he's not telling me something. I want to help him but I can't if I don't know what's going on and if they send him back with his father and something happens, I…"

Danny understood the unspoken words. He couldn't lose anyone else. It would wreck him.

"I know babe. We'll figure it out, okay? And even if they send him back with his father we'll continue to take care of him, make sure he's okay and his father is treating him well. We won't let anything happen to him."

"Okay…" Steve tightened his hold on Danny and then sighed and relaxed, obviously trying to change his mind frame before the hearing. "So…yesterday was pretty amazing, you know? Thanks Danny…really."

Danny smiled against his lover's shoulder. He knew exactly what Steve was thanking him for and he was more than proud for the accomplishment of his little mission.

He poked Steve on the ribs with his finger. "So now I'm a good teacher, huh? Because I remember hearing something about me being…what did you say? Oh yeah, curmudgeonly?"

Steve laughed at that and pulled Danny on top of him, hugging him tightly against his chest.

"Part of your charm, babe."


	7. Chapter 7

Hi again guys, sorry for the delay, I'm having way too many on call shifts lately. Anyways, this chapter is related to episode 6x10, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks a lot for those of you who have been reviewing every chapter, it really means a lot. It seems something simple and unimportant but it encourages yo keep posting to know there's interest in what you do, so thank you :).

* * *

Danny glanced at his lover for the umpteenth time since they had arrived at Kono's, trying not to make it obvious enough so everyone would notice, and even if them looking constantly at each other wasn't anything anyone in their team would pay attention to, at times like this he hated they hadn't told their ohana they were together yet.

They had talked about it and agreed it was important not to rush it and find the right moment, not because they thought any of them wouldn't accept it, they were sure their friends would be happy for them – Kono might even throw a party during which she would berate them about what took them so damn long – but because they felt it was better to settle in the relationship a little and of course, they had to tell Grace first. Danny trusted his open–minded and sweet daughter to be happy for him but after all, she was a teenager now and there was no way of telling how she could react to the news, so they needed to do it right.

With all that in mind, and the last crazy weeks, they hadn't even brought up the subject again, but Danny could recognize little signs in Steve that told him he wanted to tell them too, like that look full of complicity they shared when Max was telling them how Hanukkah was about the triumph of faith and courage over might. His lover's deep eyes were glistening, his lopsided smile telling Danny he felt like their relationship was a big triumph too. He didn't know if anyone had caught their look, but he was sure if they did there was no way of missing how much it entailed.

All of that was at an impasse now though, the shock of Adam finally going to prison leaving them too worried about helping Kono deal with the aftermath to think about anything else.

That was the reason they were here today. The original plan had been to spend New Year's Eve at Steve's, but with Adam in Halawa, Kono told them she wasn't up for celebrating and preferred to stay home so they could all have fun without having to worry about her crestfallen mood. Of course they had all decided that leaving her alone wasn't even a remote option so they turned the celebration at Steve's into a little ohana reunion at Kono's. The watery smile she greeted them with was more than enough to prove them it was the right call.

She was obviously trying to keep it together besides the turmoil going on in her head, and Steve, with his big overprotective streak, couldn't help but gravitate constantly around her, like he was kind of unconsciously trying to make a point by being there, right by her side. Danny couldn't help but smile at how adorably oblivious his lover was about that sweet way of acting whenever any of them were going through a rough time.

They called it a night sooner than they normally would, all of them glad that Chin had decided to spend the night with his cousin since any of them were really thrilled about leaving her alone right now. The ride home was silent, both of them deep in thought, but even if he was looking through the window Danny didn't miss the little glances his lover was giving him, Steve could be a sneaky ninja when he wanted to, but he could always feel when those beautiful eyes were directing all of their intensity to him. It usually meant that Steve wanted to talk about something, but Danny had learnt not to press and let him set his own pace – well, at least when he thought it was something important.

They arrived home still in silence, and Danny was about to say something to change the ongoing mood when Steve turned him and pushed him against the wall as soon as he closed the door behind them, cupping the back of his neck and engaging them in a long and deep kiss.

Danny reached around Steve's waist to bring him closer until they were plastered against each other, their kiss slowly languishing while their hands roamed their bodies gently. Steve rested his forehead against Danny's and took a deep breath, his eyes still closed.

"I've been wanting to do that all night, Danny." He started to kiss his way down to Danny's neck, determined to make up for the hours they hadn't been able to touch each other freely.

"Mm…me too babe, you don't know how much I wanted to kiss you." Danny moaned softly at Steve's ministrations, but a loud noise made him open his eyes, seeing through the windows the fireworks somewhere along the coast. "Look babe, fireworks. How about we go out to watch them?"

Steve stopped his attack and pulled off a little, smirking at Danny.

"Whoa what's this, my Jersey-to-the-bone-I-hate-Hawaii boyfriend wanting to go the beach to watch New Year's fireworks? Did I hit my head and I don't remember it?"

Danny punched him lightly on the shoulder but couldn't hide his smile, Steve's grin was contagious. "Well smartass, you should know I blame you for messing up with my likings. Now, do you want to go watch them or what?" He kissed him again quickly before pushing him gently towards the lanai doors.

Steve laughed sweetly and went to the kitchen. "Go on, I'm gonna grab the champagne bottle we bought for today and a blanket, okay?"

Danny smiled at his lover's retreating form and went out on the lanai, taking off his shoes and socks before stepping into the sand, feeling its coolness among his toes. He was absently observing the fireworks above the ocean when Steve appeared, the blanket slung on his shoulder, the bottle and two tall champagne glasses in his hands.

Danny took the blanket and settled it on the sand, sitting on it and taking the glasses too while Steve kneeled and opened the bottle with a loud pop. He filled the glasses and sat down beside Danny, looking at him with that mix of calm and love that was showing up more and more lately.

"Happy New Year, Danno."

"Happy New Year, babe."

They both smiled, clinking their glasses and taking a sip without taking their eyes from each other. They knew what that simple 'Happy New Year' entailed, how many promises and hopes, and Steve found himself lost into his lover's eyes, the bright blue sparkling with the reflection of the fireworks.

He leaned to press their lips together, and Danny took his glass and settled it beside his own on the sand before reaching to run his fingers through the brunette's short hair. They stayed like that for a few minutes, sweet kisses and gentle touches, until Steve pulled back a little and took Danny's hand on his own.

"I want to tell them, Danny. Grace, the team, all of our ohana. It was killing me, having to restrain ourselves in front of our family. It makes no sense." Steve stopped his ramble as Danny's smile grew wider with each word. "Yeah, okay, you already know all this and you were just giving me time to catch up, right? Sorry it took me so long, babe."

Danny squeezed Steve's hand and smiled softly at him. "It's okay, we both agreed we needed some time for ourselves before telling them, but I felt exactly the same tonight, like they would kick our asses if hey knew we were holding back in front of them."

Steve laughed at that. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Kono's reaction would include some punches. But at the same time I also felt like it wasn't fair to show her right now how happy we are when she…you know."

Steve's expression darkened a little, and Danny reached to caress with his thumb over a furrowing brow. "Hey, it's okay, I get it. But she'll be happy for us, we both know that. Now we just have to decide how and when we're going to tell Grace."

Steve furrowed more and lay down on the blanket with a deep sigh. "I think I'll let that part to you."

Danny snorted and leaned to rest on top of his lover. "Like you're gonna get out of this that easily, Steven. We're a team, remember?"

His lover hugged him tightly, making Danny fall completely on top of him. "I know, and I don't want to get out of it. I'm just saying I'll let you decide which is the best way to do this, you know…plan the op."

Danny chuckled against his lips, giving him a gentle kiss. "Okay, G.I. Joe, we'll plan the op later. But right now…" He started to nip along Steve's pulse point, knowing that would elicit one of those moans that were the sexiest thing he had ever heard.

Steve got quickly with the program, dealing expertly with the buttons on Danny's shirt and exploring every inch of his chest and sides with his hands while his lover attacked one of his nipples, making him buck his hips.

Danny gave the other nipple the same treatment as he fumbled with Steve's zipper, tugging his pants down a little and kissing his way along his lover's abs until he reached the growing bulge trapped under the boxers.

Steve gasped and pushed Danny gently on the shoulder, forcing him to look up.

"Danno…not that I'm not enjoying this, because I really am, but don't you think we should continue inside? I mean…even if this beach is supposed to be private you never know, and we're Five-0. I don't really want to make the news because of this."

Danny smiled fondly at him. He agreed with Steve and would have suggested to go inside at some point, but he couldn't help but tease his lover and the little panic that any remotely public display of emotion in general and love in particular caused in him was amusing to watch…when it wasn't downright annoying.

"Yeah, we should go inside. It's just that I was enjoying the scenery, you know? The ocean and the fireworks above it…" he shut up when Steve suddenly sat up, making him go along with the movement and sit on his thighs to avoid falling on the sand. Lying on top of Steve was one thing, but he wasn't really looking forward to end up with his clothes full of sand.

Steve supported himself with an arm and cupped Danny's head with the other, giving him a passionate kiss.

"I don't know what's gotten into you today, but I like it. Is this whole 'let's appreciate Hawaii a New Year's resolution?"

Danny laughed and got up, offering Steve a hand and helping him up too. "Yeah, maybe. Just don't get too used to it, okay? I'm still gonna complain on a regular basis."

"I'd get worried if you didn't, babe."

Steve followed Danny inside, watching him go upstairs while he closed up the house for the night. When he got in the room barely a couple of minutes later, the doors to the adjoining terrace were open and Steve stood up mesmerized at the sight of Danny, leaning naked on the railing with the colors of the fireworks exploding behind him on the horizon.

He walked to him like a magnet being attracted and hugged him from behind, kissing the side of his neck when Danny tilted his head to give him better access. Then he turned in Steve's arms and hugged him back, engaging them in a long kiss that only stopped when Danny pulled back a little to reach for something on the table by their side. Steve let out a low moan when he saw the bottle of lube in Danny's hand.

"I told you, I like the fireworks."

With that he gave the lube to Steve and turned back to lean on the railing again, arching his back a little in a way that made Steve feel slightly weak on the knees. He knew the terrace was a blind spot and they couldn't be seen from the other houses, but just the thought of having sex right there under the sky brought his cock to full attention in seconds. God Danny never ceased to amaze him.

He quickly uncapped the bottle and poured lube in his fingers and palm, hugging Danny again from behind while he reached with his fingers towards his lover's hole. He bit down gently on Danny's shoulder at the same time he pressed his finger inside, receiving a low moan in response.

Steve opened his lover carefully, already shivering with the need of being inside of him but not wanting to hurt Danny by rushing things. That was until Danny arched his back more and reached back to grab Steve at the thigh.

"C'mon babe, I need to feel you."

Steve massaged himself a few times with the rest of the lube on his palm and reached to pump Danny too, grabbing his hip and pressing inside when he started to buck against his hand.

They both moaned when Steve bottomed out, adjusting his grip on Danny's hips to have a better angle and starting to move slowly.

"Oh god Danny…so good. You feel so good."

Danny gripped the railing harder and arched his back more as Steve picked up the pace, meeting him halfway with every thrust. The angle was different than any position they had tried before, deeper and hitting his prostate with every pass, and it seemed to be more intense for Steve too by the sounds he was making.

This wasn't going to last long and they both knew it. Danny straightened up a little and reached back with his hand, resting his head on Steve's shoulder and grabbing him gently by the short hair at the back of his head.

That earned him a lustful moan and his lover's mouth returned to the side of his neck while a hand enveloped his cock and started pumping in rhythm with the thrusts. That sent Danny into overload and soon he was coming, hard enough he thought he would have fallen to the ground without the strong hold around him, and his clenching muscles sent Steve over the edge too, his thrusts becoming erratic until the only movement between them was their labored breathing.

Steve hugged him tighter, his hands reaching across Danny's chest while giving him soft kisses along his neck and jaw. Danny continued to thread his fingers through the short hair, both of them silent and just enjoying each other's presence.

Danny observed the now dark ocean, and couldn't help the satisfied smile tugging on his lips.

And a little while later, when they were already in bed, Danny fast asleep with his head on his lover's chest, Steve couldn't help but think that besides all the things going on, he couldn't remember a better New Year's Eve than this one in his life.

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Thanks for reading!

Let me hear your thoughts please!


	8. Chapter 8

Hey guys, I'm back! Sorry for the delay, I was out of town.

So, this chapter is related to episode 6x11 and actually the last one I had finished. I'm working on the next one and I really want to continue with this story because I enjoy writing this McDanno alternate universe, but it would encourage me to find the time and try to update regularly if I knew you guys are interested in more, so let me know!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one. Thanks for reading.

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Danny pushed off the covers with an exasperated sigh. He was still mad at Steve, who was so eager to go for a drink with those girls that he rushed things with his great tactical op and Danny's ankle had paid the price. Sure, he didn't think it was completely Steve's fault, it had been an accident, but it had been an avoidable one. Then they had fought even more at their room when Steve had insisted they should still go to their 'date', and okay, maybe he was a little jealous, but what was with his lover and his sudden interest of going out with some random girls?

So he had refused to go, stubbornly climbing into bed to make his point very clear, and nursed himself to sleep by thinking about how disappointed he was that Steve had gone and left him alone anyway.

Right now, however, looking at the adorable drunken puppy face his lover was sporting, being mad at him was proving to be a pretty difficult task.

There he was, his big and scary Navy SEAL, swaying slightly on his feet and only being able to come up with an 'Ooohps' as an excuse for having toppled something over on their fancy hotel bathroom while looking at Danny like he had never seen him before but like he could stare right into his soul, all at the same time, and how on earth could he manage that?

And why was that distracting him from the fact that even if Steve looked like the last person on earth that should be giving lectures right now, there he was ranting to Danny about that new age 'negativity just brings bad things' crap?

The whole scene was so surreal that when Danny finally snapped out of his reverie and asked Steve if he really thought he was that negative, because maybe - and just maybe - he was starting to wonder that himself too, a soft snore was his only answer.

Danny called him again, and propped himself up on his elbow to look at his lover, still clothed, his shirt open and revealing that perfect chest and abdomen, his lips parted and slightly reddened, something Danny had noticed time ago that happened when Steve drank a bit more than usual, and that made those lips even more appealing if possible, to the point that he had to make a real effort to not look directly at Steve when they went for drinks with the team after a tough case because the need of ravishing his lover grew inside him until it became almost unbearable.

But he didn't need to restrain himself right now, did he? With that in mind, Danny climbed out of his bed and went directly to straddle his lover's hips, the motion only eliciting a soft moan from Steve.

Danny smiled fondly at that. For most people, this could just mean deep, maybe even alcohol induced sleep, but for Steve, it was a big display of trust and it showed just how comfortable and safe he felt around Danny, how used he had become to have him in his personal space, skin to skin. And even if that made Danny want to sleep in peace like that for about a month straight, right now he had other plans and he was determined to wake up Steve one way or another.

Soft hands made their way up Steve's abs, leaving goosebumps on their wake and drawing another deep moan from those lustful lips. Danny's tongue followed his hand's path, and when it wrapped around a nipple, Steve's eyes finally shot open. He looked startled for a second, until his eyes found Danny's and his expression relaxed drastically. Danny just gave him a lopsided smile.

"Danny? What...ahh!" Whatever Steve was about to say got cut short by Danny's tongue ravishing his nipple again, in the exact way he knew drove his lover crazy.

"What am I doing?" Danny said full of fake innocence before going to focus his attention on Steve's other nipple, which caused another gasp and his lover's hands gripping gently his hair. "Nothing. I just thought that since you decided to go out without me I wanted to spend some quality time together now."

Apparently it was the wrong thing to say, because Steve's body, which had been squirming under Danny's ministrations, went tense in a second. Danny looked at his lover's face and found him looking away, a glint of guilt on his eyes. Danny put a hand on his cheek and gently forced him to look back at him.

"Hey babe, why that face? I'm not mad at you...okay, I'm not mad anymore, alright?" He had to add that at the incredulous look Steve was shooting his way. "I just don't get why you were so eager to go out with those girls, even after I hurt my ankle."

Steve sighed and started rubbing circles on Danny's arm before starting to speak, something he tended to do when he was sorry or worried about something. "I just...we can't be completely ourselves with each other back at home, not until we tell Grace and the team about us, and I know we have to do that right and not rush it, but...I don't know, I just thought we could be ourselves here, I mean, we even had the perfect pretext with the couples therapy, and that maybe going out with those girls we don't know would be a good way to get used to...not having to hide our feelings in public, you know?"

He was looking at Danny with that uncertain expression that was so difficult to watch on their daily routine, since it was something Steve didn't allow himself to show easily, and Danny had to admit it made some sense. Sure, in that hard, complicated way Steve's brain tended to work on a normal basis, but it made sense and he should have been able to see there was something else behind the silly way his partner was acting.

Danny sighed and started caressing Steve's cheek with his thumb, something he loved to do because usually the reaction he got was exactly what was happening right now, his lover's eyes falling shut while the lines on his forehead disappeared just a little, and he couldn't help but lean in to steal a kiss.

"You could have told me, you know? Instead of making me think you really wanted to go out with those girls."

Steve opened his eyes and grabbed Danny's hips, keeping him in place and arching his back at the same time so they were pressing against each other.

"Why would I want to go out with any of them, when I…", he thrust his hips up a little against Danny "…have this, all for me?"

Danny moaned at the gentle pressure on his fast growing erection and went for another kiss, rougher this time, demanding and passionate, only stopping when both of them were becoming out of breath. He didn't get apart from Steve even an inch though, swollen lips touching and their lungs sharing the same air.

"So, you think you _have_ all this?" Danny bit down on Steve's pulse point, feeling the blood pump faster as his lover's moaned and tilted back his head, before reaching out and grabbing his hair with both hands and tugging slightly to force Danny to look him in the eye.

"Yeah, I think you're mine." Steve was giving him such a lustful look that Danny was sure he would have felt weak at the knees if he had been standing. He smiled at his lover, getting a little higher on his knees and between Steve's thighs, forcing them apart a little and taking Steve's hands on his own, never breaking eye contact.

"Then I guess…" he slowly put Steve's hands down on the bed, at both sides of his head, intertwining their fingers and pressing him down gently against the mattress, "…that it goes both ways, right?"

Steve's body went completely still, his lips slightly parted and his pupils so dilated that there was barely any blue there, and Danny was starting to consider if he should worry about his lover suffering a stroke when Steve's legs slowly made their way up along Danny's thighs and hips, stopping when he almost had his feet planted on the bed and letting them fall out to his sides, never making an attempt to break free from Danny's grip on his hands. Turning himself into the perfect offering.

"Yes Danny, I'm yours too. I…want to be yours." Steve's voice was barely a whisper, but Danny had heard him well enough. His mouth went dry and he had to swallow hard before he could even try to speak, so he decided that kissing the perfect mouth in front of him was a better and much appealing idea. They kissed like they were drinking each other, until Steve started squirming under him, thrusting up with his hips more and more each passing second.

"Babe, are you–"

"Danny, do I look like I'm not sure?" Steve's thighs bracketed him again, and his eyes were so full of trust and love Danny could spend the rest of his life looking into them and be absolutely happy. "C'mon, I want this. I want…you."

Danny didn't need any more encouragement. He knew how difficult it was for Steve to voice something like this and he was determined to make it worth it. He sat back a little and reached to retrieve the lube he had put on the drawer before the whole couple's therapy fiasco and returned his attention to his lover, covering him with kisses and placing a pillow under his hips to make sure they both were comfortable. Steve had made a feeble attempt at rolling on his stomach, and it wasn't that Danny didn't think that would be hot as hell and of course he would love to do it like that some other time, but no way they were doing this for the first time without him looking into hose beautiful big eyes every second.

Remembering the strong reaction he got the last time, Danny licked the underside of Steve's cock, up to the head before going down on his lover's length and pressing his finger inside him at the same time, wanting to get him as relaxed as possible. And he was, more than Danny had expected he would be, moaning and stretching his arms to grip the sheets, making a visible effort not to thrust into Danny's mouth hard and deep. Danny continued his sweet torture, getting two and then three fingers inside of his lover while bobbing slowly up and down his length, not letting the stimulation get intense enough to build an orgasm, but more that enough to get Steve right at the point of desperation.

He finally sat back, his ankle protesting a little at the strain of the angle it was being forced into, but Danny ignored it and positioned himself at Steve's entrance, leaning down for a soft kiss before slowly pushing in. Steve broke the kiss and moaned softly, his hands going to rest at Danny's shoulders, who had stopping moving, giving him time to adjust or even back off.

"C'mon babe…go on." Danny pushed in, gently, until he was all the way in, then stopped again, putting his hands at both sides of Steve's face and kissing him deeply before starting to move a little, short thrusts that aimed for his lover's prostate, which he knew he had found when Steve's nails sank down on his back and he began to moan with each thrust, starting to meet Danny's movements halfway.

"God Danny, that's…I…I didn't know–"

"It was so good? Told you, babe. You just never believe me." He kissed him again and Steve's arms wrapped tighter around him, his movements becoming jerkier. Danny knew the signs. He reached between them and took hold of Steve's cock, matching his pumps with his now faster and harder thrusts, which made his lover become completely undone, and it was a beautiful sigh, jaw slack and closed eyes now, Danny couldn't look away from Steve's face right now even if the world were ending around them.

A few more thrusts and Steve was coming hard, shouting Danny's name and clenching around him so tightly that Danny could just follow, riding the wave before collapsing on top of his lover's sweaty chest, whose hands kept rubbing gently up and down his back while they both caught their breath.

Danny had his nose buried on Steve's neck, laying lazy kisses now and then, focusing on his slowing heartbeat under his own chest and feeling completely full and happy at the moment. But as the minutes passed by, neither of them saying a word, he began to worry that maybe Steve didn't feel the same. He propped up on his forearms to look at Steve's intense gaze.

"Hey, are you–"

"I love you." Steve cut his answer and reached for a gentle kiss, not giving Danny the opportunity to continue talking. "I love you so much, Danny. I know I don't say it much, but you know it, right?"

Danny smiled and nodded, unable to speak for a moment. "I love you too, Steve. And of course I know. I think we both know even if we don't say it much." He lay down again on top of his chest, not wanting to miss the contact even for a minute. "So, are you okay? Was it…good?"

"Danny…it was great. Much better than I expected, to be honest. Thank you."

"No babe, thank you for trusting me. It was great for me too, it was just perfect."

They stayed like this a few more minutes, sharing lazing kisses and just enjoying their connection, until Danny noticed Steve was falling asleep.

"Hey babe, don't fall asleep yet. Let's go take a shower first, c'mon you'll feel better." Steve answered with a grunt that Danny interpreted as a 'leave me alone, I don't want to wake up', so he went to get up to try and pull his lover with him, but he gasped sharply as his ankle touched the floor, apparently he had forced it more than he thought but he was to caught in the moment to notice it then. Now it was more than noticeable.

The pained sound woke up Steve better than any alarm, and he was up and examining Danny's ankle in a second, ignoring all his protests when he helped him walk to the bathroom and insisting on massaging it with anti-inflammatory cream and re-bandaging it once they had showered together.

The air around them was calm and content a while later, back on the bed, Steve already asleep with his head on Danny's neck and an arm across his abdomen. It wasn't a position Steve usually fell asleep in, but Danny had started stroking his hair and his lover went out like a light in just minutes. Smiling down at his sleeping form, Danny reached out to grab his phone, careful not to disturb Steve. Mission accomplished, he sent a text to his daughter, knowing she would be already sleeping but she would read it in the morning and he didn't want to wait more. They had waited long enough.

With a gentle kiss on top of Steve's head, Danny went to sleep happier than he had in a very long time.

 ** _[Monkey, just wanted to wish you sweet dreams. Everything great around here. We go back home on Monday. Will pick you up for dinner, ok? Want to talk to you about something. Love you.]_**

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So, did you like it? Thoughts?

Thanks for reading! Hope to be back soon!


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